Panthalassa Wins Saudi Cup: Japanese horse Panthalassa completed a start-to-finish triumph in the Saudi Cup on Saturday night at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 15-1 longshot romped home with a three-quarter length victory over Country Grammer in the 1-1/8-mile race. Ridden by Yutaka Yoshida, the six-year-old Panthalassa checked in the tape at one minute and 50.79 seconds. Interestingly, Panthalassa switched from grass to dirt for the race. The horse, who raced 23 times on grass in 24 starts, earned USD10 million, increasing his career earnings to USD14,418,903. The Yoshito Yahagi-trained horse held off the last-ditch attack of Country Grammer to earn the win that surprised horseracing oddsmakers who are expecting a foreign entry to win the race.
Country Grammer Second anew, Emblem Road Sixth
Bob Baffert-trained horse Country Grammer came in close from victory but the Frankie Dettori-ridden horse’s final surge fell short to settle for second. Last year, Country Grammer finished second to Emblem Road. Three Japan-trained horses Cafe Pharoah, Geoglyph and Crown Pride checked in third, fourth and fifth, respectively while defending champion Emblem Road finished a disappointing sixth place. Jun Light Bolt finished seventh while post-time favorite Taiba came in eighth. Remorse, Lagertha Rhyme and Vin De Garde placed ninth, 10th and 11th, respectively while Sunset Flash and Scotland Yard wound up the rear, finishing 12th and 13th. In March 2022, Panthalassa won the Dubai Turf in a dead heat with Lord North.
Panthalassa Wins Saudi Cup: Del Mar to Host 2024 Breeders’ Cup
The Del Mar Race Track was selected as the host of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup. This will mark the third time Del Mar will hold the season-ending event that feature the top racehorses in North America. The race track will feature 14 Grade 1 events with purses worth more than USD31 million. The 2024 Breeders’ Cup is slated on November 1-2, 2024. Del Mar last hosted the event in 2021 with 50% capacity due to coronavirus restrictions. Despite the crowd limits, the event set ann all-sources handle record of more than USD183 million. According to Del Mar Thoroughbred Club president Josh Rubenstein, the event is a “milestone” for San Diego as he is hopeful that the 2024 edition will build on the success of previous events. The 2023 Breeders’ Cup will be held at Santa Anita on November 3-4. The choice of Del Mar as the host of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup is a no-brainer due to the financial records it set in previous events, according to the online site that features the current sports picks and parlays, especially in horseracing.
